Daily Bread Archives

October 8, 2023October 6, 2023

Strengthen My Hand

⁹They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.” ~ Nehemiah 6:9

Nehemiah had just received the okay to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. This should have been a joyous time, but the enemy sent in men to discourage him and all who were building the Temple. They were trying to strike fear into their hearts. They told them their hands were too weak, and they’d fail. They were trying to speak not just fear into the lives of those men but also speak it over them. So, what does Nehemiah do? He prays that the LORD will strengthen his hands.

Here’s the thing: if we are living in the will of the LORD, then we’re now a direct target of the enemy. He’s coming for us. He’s sending his army after us. He’s looking for our weakest areas, and that’s where he’s going to attack. So, what are we to do? We stay grounded in the Word of God and stay in tune with His Spirit so that we might be able to see the attacks of the enemy and defend ourselves against them.

Dear LORD, please help me to see the attacks of the enemy. Open my eyes that I might be able to see through the attacks of the enemy and cover those parts of my life. Help me to put on the full armor that You have given to me as protection for my life. Help me not to ever give a footing to the enemy but to always keep myself protected through prayer, worship, reading my Bible, and fasting. Never let the fire in me grow cold, but instead, kindle the flame that I might be hot on fire for You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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More Hope For A Fool

¹²Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them. ~ Proverbs 26:12^NIV

The Book of Proverbs is filled with many wise and deep passages. I didn’t necessarily understand or fully grasp what this proverb meant, which says there’s more hope for a fool than for a person wise in their own eyes, until a few days ago. See, we run our ministry predominantly online at the moment, which means we come in contact with a lot of people that we probably wouldn’t if we were just a physical ministry. And the more I come in contact with people, the more I understand what Solomon was saying.

See, David defines a fool as someone who says in his heart that there is no God (Psalms 14:1 & Psalms 53:1). It’s not someone who says it out loud. It’s not someone who shouts it from the rooftops. It’s someone who says it in his heart. When our actions don’t follow God’s laws, then we become fools because we are saying in our heart that there is no God. Why? Because this is how we are living our lives, as if there will be no one to stand before on Judgment Day to give an account for all that we have done and haven’t done.

Let that sink in for a second. There is more hope for that person who says that there is no God in their heart than a person who thinks they are wise. That used to baffle me. I couldn’t see how that was true, but the more people I come in contact with, the more I understand. See, the Church is filled with many people who are living their lives for Christ. Who follow the commands. Who do all of these good things, but they refuse to be corrected on Biblical matters because they believe they’re wiser than the one correcting them. They could have no evidence for their belief and be shown 15 different verses that prove their belief wrong, but they will refuse to accept it because they believe they’re wise.

But a fool simply doesn’t believe or lives his life as if he doesn’t believe. Solomon says that there is more hope for that person. Why? Because that person can be corrected. That person can be witnessed to. That person can be guided, but a person wise in their own eyes can’t do any of that. They can’t take correction. They can’t take guidance. They ignore sound teaching all because of their own pride.

Dear LORD, help me to be neither a fool nor wise in my own eyes. Help me to not think more of myself than I ought. Show me Your Truth and remove from me any false teachings that I cling to. Expose any darkness within me and shine Your Light through me. May the Light in me never be darkness, but may I be a Light for You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Do You Love Him?

¹⁵When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to Him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” ~ John 21:15-17

Three times, Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. At the third time, Peter’s heart broke because of the question. I want you to remember that just three days prior, Peter had denied even knowing Jesus. And at that third time, Jesus looked directly at Peter. Jesus is now giving Peter the chance to make things right, but it wasn’t enough for Peter to have just said that he loved Jesus. Jesus gave him three things to do to prove that he loved Him. Today, we’re in the same boat as Peter.

We’ve just fallen down. We’ve relapsed. We gave into temptation again. We took a bite of that forbidden fruit. Now, Christ is holding out His hand, asking, ‘Do you love me?’ Of course, we tell Him yes. Of course, we believe that we do as well, but just as Peter had things to do in order to prove his love for Christ, so do we. We have to follow His commands. Yes, we will make mistakes. Yes, we will fall down. Yes, we will give into temptation, but we have to get on our knees, beg for forgiveness, and walk away from our failure. We have to walk away from where we’ve just messed up. It’s not enough to just say that we love Jesus; we have to live for Him. Our actions have to say that we love Jesus as well as our words.

Dear LORD, please help my actions to say that I love You. Help me to never offer You empty words that have no meaning. Help me to always live my life for You. Help me to always put Your ways and Your kingdom first above all else. Teach me to truly follow You and love You the way that You deserve. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Responsibility

³⁹They defiled themselves by their evil deeds, and their love of idols was adultery in the Lord’s sight. ~ Psalm 106:39 ^NLT

The Scripture comes right out and says, “They defiled themselves…” It wasn’t that they were tripped up or deceived into going that way. It wasn’t that someone tricked them, and they had no idea what was going on. It wasn’t even that they were innocent in all of this. But rather, God said they had defiled themselves.

There was no one to blame. They could lay the blame at no one’s feet except their own because it was they themselves who had knowingly defiled their own souls with their evil deeds. It was their own actions that defiled them, not somebody else’s, but their own. And it is the same with us today; we defile ourselves with our actions and with our words, but yet consider ourselves innocent. It’s not our fault, we say. I’m innocent in all of this.

In today’s society, no one wants to take responsibility for his or her actions, and our government and social media encourage it. It’s not your fault; you had a hard life. It’s not your fault; you were mistreated as a child. It’s not your fault; it’s your parents’ fault. It’s not your fault; your childhood was victimized. It’s not your fault; you were born that way. It’s not your fault; it is a disease. It’s not their fault; they are just acting out because they’ve been held down for so long. It’s not their fault; they’re the victim in all of this.

But the Scripture says that they did it themselves. They had defiled their own selves by their evil deeds. There was no one to blame. It is not someone else’s fault for you defiling your own self. Everyone has the responsibility to acknowledge his or her own deeds. Nobody else can accept responsibility for you; you must accept your own responsibility.

The Psalmist said, if I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the LORD would not have listened. It gives God no pleasure in punishing the guilty. He wants everyone to recognize and accept their own wrongdoing and repent and turn away.

Dear LORD, help me to take accountability for my actions. Help me not to blame others for my own mistakes and shortcomings. Help me not to cherish iniquity in my heart but to cherish Your Word in my heart. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Proclaim His Death

¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ¹⁸All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Jesus became sin so that in His death, He killed sin. He did a physical action to achieve a Spiritual result. By accepting Christ and being baptized in water, we do a physical action that triggers the spiritual action of dying to sin, as Christ died to sin. Therefore, since Christ Physically rose on the third day, we will also rise on the day that He returns.

This is what we proclaim spiritually when we physically partake in communion, the LORD’s Supper. Because of this, Communion is a two-fold ordinance, or ritual, as it looks back in remembrance and looks forward in hope to His return, which the early Church often referred to as the blessed hope.

We are now closer than ever before to the return of Christ. To the Blessed Hope that every generation so desperately longed to see. We’re seeing prophecies being fulfilled in our day and age. We see the End Times stage being set before our very eyes. Jesus is soon coming back, but is His Church, His bride, ready for Him? Are you ready for His return?

Times of difficulty are still to come, and we see them preparing for it even now. Nevertheless, the bride is to say come. Even so, come LORD Jesus, come. So, the next time you take the LORD Supper (Communion), think about what you’re doing. Think about the spiritual action you are proclaiming as you partake of the bread and the cup.

Dear LORD, please strengthen my faith and my love that I might withstand any and every form of persecution that comes my way. Help my life to proclaim Your death until You return. Help me to never get caught up in the pleasures of this world; instead, help me to always cry, ‘Come, LORD Jesus, come.’ In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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The Ram

⁸Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. ~ Genesis 22:8

God asked Abraham to do the unthinkable. To take his only son Isaac, whom he loved, and sacrifice him. Abraham, being the faithful and trusting servant that he is, did as God commanded. So, as they (Abraham and Isaac) venture up the Mountain, Isaac looks around and notices that they have the fire, they have the wood, and his father, Abraham, is carrying the knife, but there is no sacrifice. So, puzzled, he asks his father, “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Abraham’s response is so profound he says, “God will provide for Himself a lamb.” Isn’t that remarkable? And sure enough, God did provide for Himself a ram. This is the same for us today. God has called each of us to sacrifice our own self on the altar. Not physically, but spiritually. Why? Because Jesus already came as our only sacrifice. It was never God’s plan that man should die, but that God Himself would die for man. Our only acceptable offering for sin. Jesus is the Lamb of God, the Lamb that God Himself provided, the Lamb that taketh away the sin of the world.

Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice. Thank You for taking my sin upon Yourself. Thank You for being my sacrifice even though I don’t deserve it. Thank You for redeeming me and reconciling me back to You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Friendly Fire

¹ After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. ²Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. ³So His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. ⁴For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” ⁵For not even His brothers believed in Him. ⁶Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. ⁷The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. ⁸You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” ⁹After saying this, He remained in Galilee. ~ John 7:1-9

Jesus never did anything in order to impress others. He never gave in to peer pressure, even when it came from His own brothers. They didn’t even believe in Him, yet they were trying to give Him advice on His call. This is still true today. There are many people who don’t even believe in your call from God or even in God Himself, but they want to try to tell you how to fulfill that call from God. They sound very sincere when they do it, too, but rarely does the enemy send attacks that look like attacks.

When Eve was tempted in the Garden, the Serpent didn’t come at her with anger and aggression. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, Satan didn’t come at Him with anger and aggression. They were both asked questions. It probably didn’t even sound malicious when it was said. It probably sounded like enlightenment. If the enemy wants you to drink poison, he’s not going to label the bottle with a skull and cross bones. No. Instead, he’s going to label it healthy and say how it’ll help you and free you.

The enemy will use anyone he can in order to hinder the saints of God because we are the hands and feet of Jesus while on this earth. It’s us that goes out and makes disciples of all nations. We’re to spread the good news. We’re to keep charge over the earth. We’re to protect it and keep it. We’re supposed to keep evil from taking over the entire earth. So, the Devil uses whoever and whatever he can in order to overcome us.

Dear LORD, please help me to follow You regardless of what others do. Help me to always seek Your approval above all else. Help me to follow Your ways and fulfill the call that You have for my life, regardless of how hard or difficult it may be. Please strengthen me so that I may not fall prey to the attacks of the enemy; in Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Only Sacrifice

²¹For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:21

Once a year, the High Priest would lay the sins of the nation of Israel on the scapegoat. In the same way that the sins of Israel were transferred to the scapegoat, the Father laid on Jesus the sins and iniquities of the whole world.

Therefore, when the sin and iniquities of the whole world were placed on Jesus, He became that scapegoat. Now, to completely fulfill every iota of the Law, the scapegoat has to be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel. Azazel is a place, not a goat-demon. So, where is this place then? In short, it is Hell because Jesus has to take the sins and iniquities away from the camp and away from the people. Why? For the wages of sin is death…

This is not talking about normal physical death, but the second death. Otherwise, there would be no need for the second death mentioned in Revelation 20 if the normal physical death satisfied that requirement.

If physical death was the penalty for sin, and Jesus paid that penalty by dying on the cross, we would not have to physically die; otherwise, that is called double jeopardy. Neither would those who die without Jesus be sent to hell because the wages of sin would be satisfied by their physical death. But since the wages of sin is not normal physical death, the payment is left outstanding and has to be paid by someone. Who? Jesus, our only propitiation for sin. There is nothing like the love our God has for us to lay down His own life for His enemy.

Dear LORD, thank You for Your sacrifice on the cross for my sins. I know that I don’t deserve Your love, but You give it anyway. Thank You for Your mercy and Your grace. You are our only pure and perfect sacrifice for our sins. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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The Only Cleansing Blood

¹⁴And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. ~ Leviticus 16:14

The first time the high priest went into the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement, he took with him the blood of a bull into the Holy of Holies, and with his finger, he sprinkled some of the blood seven times. The blood of the bull did not take away his sin but only covered it or rolled it ahead one year. He was still filled with sin, and no amount of sacrifice could do anything to change that. Why?

Because the blood of Jesus is the only blood that is sufficient to take away the sins of the world, but you have to accept that sacrifice. You have to accept that free gift of salvation. God does not force salvation on anyone. It must be a cognizant decision on the part of the worshiper to receive the free gift of salvation. There’s no all roads lead to God. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The Scriptures say that it is for man once to die, and then the Judgment.

Therefore, once we die, that’s it. There’s no do-over. There’s no second chance. The door is shut. Forgiveness and salvation are only given as an option to the living because once you die, it’s time for Judgment. Therefore, today is the day of salvation; tomorrow is promised to no man.

Dear LORD, please forgive me of all of my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Please take Your rightful place as LORD and King of my heart and life. Please direct my path and guide me through each and every circumstance that comes my way. Thank You for Your love, grace, and mercy. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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The Workings of Fear

¹⁸ There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. ~ 1 John 4:18

Fear, an age-old enemy, attacking from generation to generation, relentless in its pursuit to defeat the strongest of men. A very true and accurate description of Fear by someone I love and miss dearly. Fear is an enemy that will intimidate you and throw lies your way in hopes that you never stand up to it. Why? Because Fear will have to back down. Fear uses this tactic because Fear doesn’t have the authority to touch you.

Here’s what I mean: Fear can’t beat you. It can’t scratch you. It can’t cause you actual harm. It can’t take your life. But it can convince you that others will. It will try its best to control you because it knows that if you refuse to give in to its demands, it no longer has any root in your life. So, it’ll bring friends with it, like anxiety, depression, suicide, shame, etc.

Mankind has struggled with Fear from the very beginning. After Adam ate the fruit and heard God in the Garden, Fear entered his life. Each and every one of his offspring after him have had to battle this enemy in one form or another. How do we fight and defeat this relentless enemy?

By standing firm in the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Love that doesn’t take into consideration its own needs or safety but will do whatever it takes to protect those dwelling in said love. This is what we hold to. The love of God.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Stand In Love.

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